LIFE AS I KNOW IT

1. I am a dreamer and an avid goal setter!  I want to see and do everything I can!  I know that I can have, do or be anything that I want to, so why not live the life that will help me achieve my dreams?! :) Life is amazing!!! MY life is amazing!!

2. I ate Top Ramen everyday my freshman year....but only the Beef flavor... haha My mom even asked my roommates to make sure I didn't buy it when we went grocery shopping...too bad mama....I LOVE IT!!!

3. I love to LAUGH: laugh till I cry, laugh till I get a stomachache, laugh till I am gasping for breath, laugh with the ones I love, laughing at an inside joke, laughing because someone has a funny laugh that makes me laugh...it really is the best feeling in the world to me!!

4. My favorite scent to wear is PURE SEDUCTION by Victoria Secret.

5. I was born in Reston, Virginia...just 15 minutes outside of Washington DC.

6. My idea of a perfect day would be waking up and watching the sunrise with the man of my dreams, eating a huge french toast breakfast, then going for a walk in the sunshine, hand in hand with that same man, go shoping for an hour or two, go boating with all my family and friends, do some tubing and waterskiing, have a BBQ, play in the sprinklers, watch the sunset, and go star gazing. Man I miss summer time!!!

7. I had a lazy eye when I was a kid....and I had to wear a patch on my good eye to try to strengthen my weak, lazy eye.......but I hated wearing the patch and would always pull it off, so my mom would wrap magazines around my arms so I couldn't bend them to pull my patch off..... OH!!! And if that is not bad enough, on top of that I wore pink rimmed bi-focals because I have the eye sight of a bat.... Yeah...quite the childhood huh? %)

8. If you go to YouniversityTV.com and click on Campus Tours, and go to Utah Valley University you will see ME representing dear old UVU! :) lol don't make fun when I say "Snee-- skiing" ....you'll see! lol

9. I love to sing...and I love to sing LOUD! haha It is my dream to sing the National Anthem at a professional sporting event!

10. I love art!  Photography is my favorite medium!!  I love capturing people as they really are!  I also love drawing, watercolor, sewing, mod podge-ing, designing, and creating.  Life is a masterpiece, create it!

11. The only fight I have ever gotten into was in the 3rd grade at Bonneville Elementary. It was at the end of the day and we were all getting our back-packs to go home and a was being rude to everyone...and it was getting on my nerves, so I turned around and whacked her in the face with my back-pack and ran off!!! (If you ever read this Lisa...sorry about that! haha!)

12. I love popsicles more than I love to breathe....

13. Celine Dion is my favorite singer! That was the first CD I ever got when I was a kid! I want meet her someday!!! At least go to one of her concerts! ....do you ever feel like you know a celebrity??  Well...I feel like Celine Dion is my cousin or something!! hahaha I feel like I just know her!!! hahaha (I have many celebrity "friends" like this!! haha)

14. I am a strong believer in The Secret. Do you know about The Secret??? If not...come talk to me...it will change your life! It has changed mine!

15. I love going horseback riding! I don't have horses but I have been riding countless times! ...One time when I was riding in the Sand Dunes down in St. George, all of our horses were galloping and then the horse in front on mine stopped, and mine had to stop really fast so it wouldn't hit it....and my horse kicked his back legs up, and I did a front flip in slow motion...off of my horse..and into the sand!! Not many can say that! hahaha Not many want to....I don't blame them!! But it really was sooo funny!!

16. I sang a solo in front of 10,000 people at the Marriott Center

17.I was at Target the other day, and was texting and walking, when all of the sudden my feet slipped out from under me....I let out a huge scream...my phone went flying in the air...I caught my balance, caught my phone, and kept walking! hahahhaha I was in front of all of the check out lines...hahaha I put on a very entertaining show for everyone! hahaha ;)

18. I am 5'8 and a half!I was always the second tallest girl in my grade {thank you Debbie Scoffield}.  I never liked being tall...until recently.  I am finally proud of my height!  Love the skin you're in!!!

19. I have really big cheeks....I dont know if anyone really knows that about me....I try to keep that to myself...haha ;)  When I smile, my cheeks cover my eyes and I can't see....it's a Kitto thing! (thanks a lot Dad!)

20. One of my lifetime goals is to be a contestant on a GAMESHOW!!!  Preferably Family Feud...I think my family would Dominate that game!! I dont know why...but I absolutely LOVE gameshows!! haha

21. I love to blow bubbles with my gum!!!! I do it subconsciously now and I dont think people like that all the time....but I just love to pop my gum!

22. I not only talk in my sleep, walk in my sleep...but I was told that I also SING in my sleep!!!

23. I have OCD about always having lotion/perfume, gum and lipgloss! I will turn my car around if I have left the house without them.  It's better to be late and have my necessities, than going through the entire day longing for them!!

24. In my film class the teacher sang "Who are these children coming down?!" and looked at us and said, "Name that movie!" I proudly shouted out "Saturdays Warrior!!" ....and I was the only one to shout it out...hahaha I grew up in a musical family, ok?!

25. My most embarrassing moment was...at the Special Olympics...hahaha I was a junior in high school and went with my school's special needs students to play Volleyball at the Olympics.  Well, little did I know, these students were SO GOOD at Volleyball!!!  I felt like the underprivileged one out on the court! haha  So I had to up my game!! ...and boy did I ever!!! hahaha I was so into the games!  My team won game after game!  We were on a roll!!  Well we were almost to the Championship game, and I was playing front and center.  The opposing team bumped...set...and was ready to spike, when all of the sudden I leaped up with all the adrenoline I could muster, and stuffed the ball back on their side.......knocking over a down syndrome boy!!! :(  It finally hit me: "RACHEL, YOU ARE AT THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS!!! I felt so bad!!!!! Here was his big chance to spike the ball, and I ruined it for him.  Can you tell how horrible I was feeling at that moment?!!?  This event still haunts me!! hahaha I remember my team cheering me on and being so proud of me, but I just felt like crying!!! I felt so bad!!!  ........But.....my team ended up taking home the Gold!!!! :) hahhahahaha

This is only a glimpse into my life.  I wouldn't trade it for the world ;)

Roses are Red..

So here is an update with some watercolors I have been working on.  Actually, I will show you the step by step of just one art piece I worked on recently.  More to come when I upload my pictures!

 

 

Pretty fun! 

Watercolor is pretty difficult.  Everything had to blend and be transparent...and its hard to keep it neat (well, hard for me!!).  I wonder what oil painting is like?? Are any of you artists or enjoy different mediums of art?  Let me know what you like!!

Well I gotta go finish my sketchbook!! 60 sketches due tomorrow...I am not close to being done!  Wish me luck!! :)

Choosing to Change

Sorry for my long absence, it seems I have been MIA!

But guess what....I'm baaaaaack!!!! :) :) haha :)

So a lot has been on my mind for the past few months,

but one thing in particular:

HUMILITY

I have come to the realization that I have a huge struggle

with this principle...and I always thought

I was pretty good with it!  Haha!! 

How prideful is that?!?

Well as I have been really focusing on this issue,

I have stumbled across a very valuable lesson.

When asking God to help me become more humble,

He will not change me into a humble person, but will

give me opportunities to choose humility.

The one thing God gave us that he cannot take away

from us is our agency.  He will never make us be a

certain way.  He cannot! 

This week I have been focusing on forgetting myself and 

focusing on helping others. I asked my Father in Heaven 

to help me become more selfless.  

So what happened?  

Did He snap His fingers and erase all of my selfish-tendencies?  

Did I suddenly become the most giving person on earth??

Nope!!!  In fact...nothing changed.

He didn't change my heart, but He did allow me

the opportunity to prove myself, and to show

that I really do want to become a more selfless person!

That opportunity came to me only a few hours after my

prayer.  My phone rang with an urgent opportunity to forget 

myself and to go help someone in need!

I wasn't all-of-the-sudden unaware of how busy I was, 

or what I was in the middle of. But I was blessed with  

the spirit and with love for the person who needed help!  

I was able to see them through God's eyes,

and knew that that He needed someone to go help one of His

children.  I was happy to be the one to do that!

I am grateful for all the learning opportunities God gives me

so that I can become the person He wants me to be.

I know it's hard to be humble: to give up our will, and forget 

about what WE think is best for us.  But I know that His plan 

is far greater than we could ever imagine! 

This life is about change.  

It's about changing from the natural man and becoming like God.  

That wont happen unless we choose to change.  

Here is to baby steps and to continually striving to be our best selves!

Convenient

My sister Kristie

demonstrating just how convenient little nephews can be:



hahaha Happy Holidays!!!

:)

Neat Experience

I had forgotten this experience until a dear friend of mine reminded me!

A few years back (2006) I was watching a segment on TV
during the half time in between General Conference sessions.

It was a special on South America and its people.

I remember sitting there by myself, glued to the TV...

My heart ached for these people.

All of the sudden, I was overcome with the Spirit,
and I felt that I was supposed to serve these people!

I knew right then that if I was called on a mission-
that's were I would serve. (South America)
.............................................................................................

It's amazing to see that personal revelation come to pass!
Again, I am overwhelmed with the Sprirt,
knowing that I have been called to teach the gospel
to these people whom I already love!
...Just like I was told that I would!

:)

Called to Serve

I know this update is a little late.  For some reason, I have been hesitant to write it.  The reality of it all has still been sinking in, and I wanted to make sure I was in full awareness before posting about it. :)

On Wednesday, November 10, 2010

 I was sitting in my English class when I got a text from my dad saying: "It's here!!!"

My heart stopped...."My call is here?!?!  I only turned my mission papers in 10 days ago!!!!" 

 { I was not expecting it this soon! }

But ready or not, a letter containing life-changing information was waiting for me at home.

I wanted my family and close friends to be there with me when I opened it....which meant I had to wait until 8:30pm to open it!  Usually people hate waiting.  They want to know, and they want to know NOW. 

That wasn't the case for me.  I was not ready to open it.  I was scared out of my mind!! hahaha

I literally thought that I was about to go into cardiac arrest!

I felt sick to my stomach (due to nerves)
and was afraid that when I opened my mouth to read my call,
throw up would come out instead of actual words.

{ I tell ya...I was all sorts of nervous! }

I can't put into words what it felt like to be in that position; to find out where I would be living for the next year and a half of my life.
Not only that...but really acknowledging what it was that I "signed up" for.

I would leave everything: my family, my friends, my education, my job, my home, my bed, most of my clothes and material posessions...everything!  It's not like I am just picking up and moving somewhere new...

I am leaving everything I have ever known.

It is an intense feeling.

But what I would be getting in return has no price-tag.  It is invaluable.  This is the first time in my life where I have the opportunity to fully consecrate my life to the Lord. To give him ALL that I have.

To give ALL of me. 

Ok, so finally everyone arrived!  All 30 of us crammed into my tiny living room.  Smiles were on everyone's faces.  You could feel the excitement! { I could feel the love of my family and friends, and that was so overwhelming in and of itself! That meant more to me than they will ever know! }

We began with prayer...and then...it was time.

I slowly opened the envelope, and pulled out the contents within.

Quickly my eyes caught the name of a forgein country!

My heart leaped!!

No one knew except me...

{ I may or may not have done a small victory dance at this point }

I began to read aloud the letter:

"Dear Sister Kitto,

You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

You are assigned to labor in the Chile Osorno Mission..."

An erruption of cheers and applause broke out! haha I think I even heard some "Arrriba!'s" hahaha

It was a struggle to finish the letter, as I was overcome with the spirit and many emotions.

Tearfully, I got through it all.

{  I am to report to the Provo MTC on March 16, 2011.  }

I you are like me, you are thinking: "Chile=WARM!!! Yay!!!!"

Well...unfortunately, this is not the case!

hahaha

You see, the Chile Osorno Mission is the most southern mission in the world...

AKA

We are the closest to ANTARCTICA!!!! (So keep me in your prayers!)

Yes, I will be preaching to the penguins!! ;)

There seasons are opposite of ours here in America! I will have warm Christmas' and freezing 4th of July's!

I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am to serve a mission! I am so excited to be Hermana Kitto :)

I am excited to speak Spanish!!! I am so excited to serve the people in Chile and to bring them the blessing of true gospel! This is the beginning.  I hope and pray that the Lord will take my inadequacies, and make me equal to all He has called me to do.  I hope to continue to prepare myself in every way to be a worthy and able missionary of the Lord.

"Come what may, and love it."

Shout out to the winners who guessed correctly:
*Shea Terry
*Jana Boschetti
*Anthony Holst
*Rachel Lanham Kitto
*Tuare Garrido
:)

101 degrees

Last night I was feeling a bit under the weather...

My temperature was rising and I was shivering under 4 blankets & a hoodie!

I finally decided that I would go upstairs and take some medicine.

My mom suggested that I take Niquil.

I looked and looked and looked {...for a good 30 seconds...} and could not find it.

...this brought me to tears...

hahaha...I was literally crying!!

When I realized I was crying, and what I was crying about,

I gave up my search and headed straight to bed...

"I am too tired to be sick...."

Luckily, my mom came down a few minutes later...with Niquil. 

She made sure she gave me the one that had alcohol in it...apparently I looked like I needed it...hahaha

Last night I slept like a baby....I woke up multiple times, crying...hahaha I was definitely not in my normal state of mind yesterday!! 

Today I am still feeling under the weather...and all I want to do is watch ELF...and eat Beef flavored Top Ramen.  

Here's to a speedy recovery...

Wish me luck!!

Auntie Ray-Ray :)

Can I just take this moment to tell you

that I absolutely LOVE being an
AUNTIE?!

Because I do!

And here is why:

I have the cutest nephew in the world!

No competition...

No questions asked...

THE CUTEST!

Look at that FACE!!!

...such a charmer...

..YUP..

I love being his auntie

:)

Leaps and Bounds

As of late, I have been in full swing in trying to tone up.

From Halloween till New Years is the easiest time for me to get in shape.

Why?

Because with so many treats available, I find it easier to stay clear from them.

...As apposed to the other 9 months of the year

when I welcome treats with a big chubby grin on my face...

:D

Well this year, besides trying to eat healthier,

I have also been making leaps and bounds of progess

on making exercise a part of my daily routine!

{ I have always stayed some-what active,
but I haven't really experienced the results my heart secretly longs for }

...Since being in my Nutrition 2010 class,

my teacher (basketball coach/weight-lifter/healthy man)

has ingrained into my head that...

 *The key to a lean, healthy body is...

weight lifting!

Seems kind of backwards, doesn't it?

I thought so!

I have an athletic build, and am always self-conscience that if I weight lift

I will get HUGE and not be cute and feminie.

This is not true.

I am amazed at how quickly I have seen results--

{ in my loose clothes and on the scale }

I am getting a cute and more feminie figure everyday!

Weight lifting is vital to losing fat!

MUSCLE BURNS CALORIES!

did you hear me?

The more muscle you have, the more calories your body will burn on its own...

aka = faster metabolism!

My daily routine will usually include one or both of my favorite work out videos:

The early 90's hit:

Synergetics

*12 minutes, 2x a day

* No sweating

*Fun to watch
(spandex leotards in bright colors)

*AMAZING RESULTS!

{ My family swears by this video!! It transformed my sisters'
pre-teen chub into teenage bombshell! ;)

I feel my body getting tighter and tighter after everytime I work out! }

{ man, doesn't this picture just make you want to work out?? :) }

.....

My second, and all time favorite is Chelen Johnsons':

Turbo Jam

*5 AMAZING work outs

-Learn & Burn

-20 min. Work Out

-Turbo Sculpt

-Cardio Party

-Ab Jam

{...sounds pretty fun, huh? ;)  My FAVORITE is

TURBO SCULPT

and AB JAM

:)

I am still trying to find love for Cardio Party.

...cardio is definitely not my kind of party...

yet. }

*Simple to do

*Time flies by

*...I may or may not want to cry sometimes...

*Sweatiest work out ever!!!

*QUICK RESULTS

{ Especially when you incorporate her eating guide! AhMazing!! :) }

{ Can't you just see how much FUN this work out is? ;) }

I highly suggest BOTH of these work out plans!

Synergetics: $3 used on Amazon.com

...pretty sure you can afford this little beauty...

(or it could possibly be in your mom's VHS collection at home)

Turbo Jam: $15.59 used on Amazon.com

That's a steal compared to what I paid for it!

This was my first ever informercial purchase :)

{ Very pleased with that decision, btw! }

Just thought I would share my happy thoughts with you all!

Start exercising and you can be happy, too!

"Exercise gives you endorphins,

endorphins make you happy!

Happy people just don't shoot their husbands.

...They just don't!"

Too true, Elle.

:)

Happy Holidays to you! 

Feel free to join me in staying away from too many treats,

and lets start shaping up!

:)

Dumb Habits

I have some dumb habits...
one in particular is dominating my life at the moment.

I have the habit of keeping myself completely busy...all the time.
I LOOK for things to do, not out of boredom (I am usually pretty excited about the not-so-important task) but out of feeling that things need to get done. 

I don't know if this is anxiety...I don't know what I would be anxious about!

This bad habit is especially annoying at night time...
I don't let myself go to bed until I do a whole bunch of nothing!!
Like for real!  I find myself up SUPER late: cleaning/organizing...writing letters...goal setting...exercising...editing pictures...staring at my ever-changing teeth...freebreezing my room...reading...facebooking...blogging...reading other blogs...pretty much anything but sleeping.

THIS ISN'T HEALTHY!!!

IT IS RIDICULOUS!!!

Tonight I am doing my watercolor assignment.......but as I wait for the layers to dry, I feel the need to upload all of my CD's onto my iTunes...why??  Haha I have no clue!!!!  (And while I am waiting for that to upload, here I am blogging!)

{ sneak peak of the work in progress: washes + layers of masking = sooo fun }

I need some kind of chill pill!!  I don't like taking naps...I feel like they are a waste of time...because, OF COURSE, I should  be using that time to do some sort of job or project or ANYTHING!

I think it would be great to be OCD about doing homework...too bad that one hasn't caught on yet...

Well.  I am going to go finish my painting...and then go STRAIGHT TO BED! 

No more lolly-gagging...
{ Why in the world do we say "lolly-gagging"??? haha }

Wish me luck!!
And if you have any suggestions for me...I would love to hear them!!!



"For I have been made new"

 

One year and one week ago, one of my best friends { Nate Last } was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  This was one of most amazing experiences I have ever witnessed.  

Last night we were listening to Owl City, when the song "Meteor Shower" came on.  He said that he heard this song for the first time a few days before he was baptized--and that he felt like it was about him.  

I had never heard this song before.  

So we listened to it...and I bawled as Nate sang out the words:

I can finally see 

that You're right there beside me

I am not my own, 

for I have been made new

Please don't let me go, 

I desperately need You

I am not my own, 

for I have been made new 

Please don't let me go, 

I desperately need You

 .........

The song is only 2:14 long, 

but it was one of the best 2 minutes and 14 seconds of my life!

If you haven't heard it...

{ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqH470Hdn4Q }

go take 2 minutes and listen to it.

Try and imagine someone who has finally found what he has been missing/looking for.

Think of the excitement!

Think of the peace!

Think of the hope!

...then try not to cry...

:)

I love you Nate! 

I have ALWAYS looked up to you.  You are the most loving and accepting person I have ever met, and HANDS DOWN the HAPPIEST person I know!!! :)  I love that you idolize my dad's mustache, and are well on your way to having one just like it! ;)  You are one of the most talented people I know!  I am amazed by your creativity and skills!!  You have the BRIGHTEST future ahead of you!  I can't wait to see where life takes you!  Nate, you have brought so much life and happiness into my life!  I am so grateful to have you as my friend!! 

I have the best friends in the whole world!

I had an AMAZING night

with my AMAZING friends!

...and not just ANY friends...

my BEST friends!!

friends I've had since Elementary and/or Junior High!

friends that know the REAL me!

friends that can go two years without seeing each other,

and pick up right where we left off!

friends that say "i love you" when we depart,

and truly mean it.

They say 1 true friend is

worth 5 therapists...

i believe it!

Tonight was the first time our group (well, partially...excluding the current missionaries) has hung out together in YEARS!!!  It was quite the reunion!  Eventful? ...not entirely.  Meaningful? ...definitely! 

It amazed me to see how much life has changed...but how little it has changed us...(in a good way).

He still smells soooo good!

{...and is getting marriend next week!!! Welcome to the gang Michelle!!!...}

He is still the HAPPIEST person I know!
{...and can grow the best facial hair EVER...}

We still have our "special hug"

{...and it still makes us laugh every time!!!...}

She is still sooooo hilarious!

{...and by hilarious, i mean...HILARIOUS!!!...}

Inside jokes are still funny,
Laughter is still constant,
and

We still bring out the best in each other!

{...my cheeks still always hurt after we hang out--from non-stop smiling...}

:)

I am so lucky!  I truly have been blessed with the most amazing friends.  I look up to them soooo much!!!  These are the types of friends that people wish they had!  They are the kind of people who make you want to be a better person just because of who they are.  They are the FUNNIEST FREAKING PEOPLE you will ever meet!!!

These are the people I am going to stay friends with for the rest of my life!

.............

My love goes out to the rest of the gang!!

Keep working hard!

I love you all!!

.......

:)  Life is so good  (:

Cheer up Buttercup :)

I am going through some old files tonight, and came across this photoshoot I did with

my beautiful sister Kristie Bea!!

She is definitely one of the most photogenic people I know!!

I love doing photoshoots with her!! :)

I love getting her to laugh, and capturing her in the real moment!

This week has been a tough one for her...so I hope I can send her my love and help make her feel lots better!

"Cheer up buttercup!  I love you from head to toe!"

:)

...waiting

As you may know...I have decided to go on a mission!!!

{ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints }

I am THRILLED about this decision! 

:)

My papers are IN...

My schedule is CLEARED...

.....

now all I've gotta do is...

WAIT.

...and then I will know WHERE I am going...

only to wait some more before I can actually GO!

.....

{ In the mean time }

I am keeping myself busy by:

*Kicking butt in school, and managing to get A's!!

*Keeping in touch with my creative side, and doing many fun artsy projects!

*Spending hours and hours with my wonderful friends!

*Spending many more hours laughing and talking with my family!

*And...as always...dreaming about my life and getting excited about the things to come!

Waiting isn't as bad as it seems...

soon enough, the wait will be over!

I want to fill this wait time with TONS of fun memories and experiences to look back on.

What good would all this time be if I just waisted it doing nothing but

...

waiting?

{ Early mission pictures...will take more once these braces come off!! }